Acceptable Use Policy

This Acceptable Use Policy ("AUP") governs your use of the services provided by Hummingbird Technologies LLC ("Hummingbird," "we," "us," or "our"). This AUP is incorporated into our Terms of Service.

1. API Usage Guidelines

When using our APIs, you agree to:

• Use API keys only for their intended purpose
• Respect rate limits and usage quotas for your plan
• Implement proper error handling and retry logic with exponential backoff
• Cache responses where appropriate to reduce unnecessary requests
• Keep your API keys secure and confidential
• Promptly rotate keys if you suspect they have been compromised

2. Prohibited Activities

You may not use our services to:

Illegal or Harmful Activities

• Violate any applicable laws, regulations, or third-party rights
• Facilitate fraud, identity theft, or financial crimes
• Stalk, harass, or threaten individuals
• Discriminate against individuals based on protected characteristics
• Violate privacy rights or data protection laws
• Circumvent geographic restrictions or sanctions

Service Abuse

• Attempt to bypass, disable, or circumvent rate limits or security measures
• Use automated tools to create multiple accounts
• Share, sell, or transfer your API keys to third parties
• Reverse engineer, decompile, or attempt to extract our source code
• Interfere with or disrupt our services or infrastructure
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to our systems or other users' accounts
• Use our services to build a competing product

Network Abuse

• Launch denial-of-service attacks or engage in activities that degrade service for others
• Consume a disproportionate share of resources that impacts other users
• Scan or probe our systems for vulnerabilities without authorization
• Transmit malware, viruses, or malicious code

3. Data Use Restrictions

Data obtained through our APIs may not be used to:

• Build user profiles for advertising without proper consent
• Make decisions that have legal effects on individuals (e.g., credit, employment, housing) without proper safeguards and compliance with applicable laws
• Compile databases of personal information for resale
• Track individuals without their knowledge or consent
• Violate the privacy expectations of the individuals whose data is being looked up

4. Security Requirements

You are responsible for maintaining appropriate security measures, including:

• Storing API keys securely using environment variables or secret management systems
• Never exposing API keys in client-side code, public repositories, or logs
• Using HTTPS for all communications with our APIs
• Implementing appropriate access controls within your organization
• Promptly reporting any security incidents to our team

5. Rate Limits and Fair Use

To ensure service quality for all users:

• Stay within the rate limits and request quotas for your plan
• Implement caching to avoid redundant requests for the same data
• Use batch endpoints where available for multiple lookups
• Spread requests evenly over time rather than in bursts
• Handle rate limit responses (429 status codes) gracefully with appropriate backoff

Consistently exceeding your plan's limits may result in throttling, additional charges, or account review.

6. Prohibited Content and Use Cases

Our services may not be used in connection with:

• Illegal gambling or unlicensed gaming operations
• Unlicensed financial services or cryptocurrency schemes
• Weapons, explosives, or controlled substances
• Adult content involving minors
• Spam, phishing, or fraudulent schemes
• Content that promotes violence or hatred
• Violation of intellectual property rights
• Any activity that could harm minors

7. Compliance and Reporting

If you become aware of any violation of this AUP, please report it immediately to [email protected]. We take all reports seriously and will investigate promptly.

8. Enforcement

We reserve the right to take appropriate action in response to violations of this AUP, including:

• Issuing warnings
• Temporarily suspending API access
• Reducing rate limits
• Terminating your account
• Reporting illegal activities to appropriate authorities
• Taking legal action where warranted

The severity of our response will depend on the nature and impact of the violation. We may take action without prior notice in cases of severe violations or imminent harm.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this AUP from time to time. Material changes will be communicated via email or through our services. Continued use of our services after changes become effective constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

10. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Acceptable Use Policy or need to report a violation: